Donald Trump Jr said this week that newly unsealed evidence from the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk, has settled most of the conspiracy theories that followed the shooting. The claim was detailed by Fox News after Trump Jr. spent time in the Provo, Utah courtroom this week reviewing evidence and hearing testimony. He appeared on Jesse Watters Primetime to share his takeaways from the hearing.
Based on what he observed in the courtroom, Trump Jr. said it is now clear to him that Robinson carried out the shooting, adding that “it’s very clear to me that Tyler Robinson did this.” He said he understood why some people had been skeptical about the case, but argued that the skepticism was no longer warranted given what prosecutors presented.
Robinson, 23, faces seven charges connected to Kirk’s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, according to the charging document filed by the Utah County Attorney’s Office. He has not yet entered a plea, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
The DNA and text evidence left little room for skeptics
Prosecutors have pointed to text messages Robinson allegedly sent his roommate shortly after the shooting, in which he reportedly admitted to the act and said he “had enough of his hatred.” That evidence builds on details from previously released case documents that laid out much of the state’s forensic case months earlier, including DNA consistent with Robinson’s found on the rifle’s trigger, other parts of the weapon and the towel it was wrapped in.
“This stuff is very cut-and-dry at this point,” Trump Jr. said of the evidence. He also raised concerns about the light security presence at the event, noting that only six police officers were on duty for a gathering that drew thousands, a shortfall that echoes the kind of scrutiny Turning Point USA has faced before, including after a protest outside Erika Kirk’s event in San Antonio last month.
Trump Jr., who has spoken at close to 100 Turning Point USA events with Kirk, said he was struck by why there weren’t more officers present, asking “why were there only six officers at a major campus event.” He said TPUSA events routinely draw thousands of attendees and that the absence of a larger security operation was, in his words, truly scary.
Trump Jr. said public sentiment around the case had shifted from a roughly 50-50 split to about 90-10, with a growing majority now convinced of Robinson’s guilt. Prosecutors were expected to present additional evidence at Friday’s hearing, and a trial date had not yet been set as of publication.
Published: Jul 10, 2026 06:30 am